Andre Carter had a Pro Bowl season out of nowhere in 2011. That makes the veteran defensive end different from your average free agent out there, and he has different demands.

Carter is looking for a long-term deal from the New England Patriots, the Boston Herald reported Friday. The team is looking to sign him to something closer to the low-cost one-year deal it signed him to last season.

New England's motivation is clear: Carter, 33, is coming off a torn quad, a difficult injury to recover from. It's not clear if Carter will be ready for the regular season, so there has been no rush to sign him. The Herald reported that Carter has turned down interest from other teams in the hope of chasing another Super Bowl in New England.

It's possible Carter will start the season on the physically unable to perform list, missing the first six games. After also losing Mark Anderson, the Patriots could use another veteran presence on their defense. They drafted defensive ends Chandler Jones and Jake Bequette in the first two rounds, but they haven't always had a great track record incorporating rookies into the mix in the Belichick era of late.

We think the Patriots defense will be improved this year, with or without Carter. He would be a nice final addition during a defensively-focused offseason.